Could We?
by Companion of Insanity
Summary: Could they be together? After all, Harry keeps his ketchup in the fridge. ***TAGS***-PTSD, Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, ketchup, establishing a relationship, cisco is a restless sleeper, so is Harry


"Do you think we'd make a good couple?" Cisco asks out of the blue.

Harry's fingers freeze on the keyboard and he looks over at the young man. His eyes are blank, he's learned to keep his feelings buried from the windows to his soul. Where had that come from, anyway? It's so out of left field. Harry doesn't speak because Cisco is sitting next to him staring off into space.

It's late, they're the only ones there.

Someone must have said something, hinted at something, cracked a joke, whatever. That kind of question was completely random. The seeds must have been planted for Cisco to even consider being with him, let alone sleep with him.

Cisco muses over the question, staring unfocused at the wall of the cortex. "I think we could do it..." He finally looks at Harry, "if you weren't such a heathen, anyway."

Harry's eyes narrow. Oh, for pete's sake. "Ketchup goes in the fridge." Lukewarm ketchup was just ugh.

Cisco returns the glare. "My point exactly."

Harry sighs and turns his chair towards him. "Alright. Who suggested the concept?" He wants to know just so he can throttle them. They deserve it. He himself has never wondered about sharing his life with Cisco. But now that the question is out there, he was thinking about it.

"Nobody. I've been thinking it over for a little while, now," he pauses, "I bet you'd be fun in bed," and Cisco smiles.

"Laundry goes in a basket when it's dirty, it goes in a dresser when it's clean, tools get put away, I throw things when I want to, I don't like horror movies, and ketchup goes in. The. Fridge."

Cisco giggles. "Are those your rules, or are you just stating how you live? Cuz if they're your rules, we're gonna spend a lot of time arguing."

"That's how I live, and I would strangle you if we had to share a bed. I've seen you sleep on the couch in your workshop. You kick in your sleep, and why the hell are we even talking about this?" Harry replies, tone hard.

"You've watched me sleep? That's creepy, dude."

"Ramon, trust me. It wouldn't work. None of it would last. I like having control over my life, and nobody can control you. Keep me out of your wet dreams." Harry gets up and leaves, intent on abandoning Cisco for the night. He's tired, so he heads for his room.

Cisco is left to wonder if Harry will remember anything in the morning.

Cisco forgets, shockingly. Harry doesn't. It's hard to forget when you learn someone is actually thinking about a commitment with you, for you, and not the size of your bank account.

Cisco didn't stress money that much. He made sure to have exactly what he needed. Cisco wasn't the kind of wreck that would scratch off a thousand lottery tickets and hope to get lucky.

So Harry was now seriously thinking and wondering what it might be like to share his life with him. Cisco was a kicker, he tossed and turned in his sleep. That wouldn't really work, he was just as bad. But for different reasons. Cisco could be stubborn, that would result in a number of growling disagreements.

What would he even get out of a relationship with the boy? There wasn't much to be gained. They fought too much to warrant sharing the same roof together. They barely shared Cisco's workshop as it was.

It's nearly a month later when Harry finally returns to Cisco with an answer.

''We could try,'' he says quietly. Barry and Joe are discussing their latest case at his job. They have to be quiet about it.

''Try what?'' Cisco nearly whispers. Because of course, he hasn't remembered their little chat.

''Being together. But I have a few ground rules.''

Cisco pauses. He doesn't blink, just breathes. His hands were on the keyboard, but his fingers have stopped completely. For once, his face is blank. Harry actually can't pick anything out of his eyes for a change.

Obviously, Cisco thinks, they're going to start out in separate beds. If they both kick in their sleep, they're both going to wake up with bruised legs and short tempers. Cisco knows already not to touch Harry without warning. That's fine, but Cisco feels he could use some therapy over that. Harry has put him in a few choke holds before, and it always took a few days for him to come back. When he did, he had a hard time looking anyone in the eye for at least a week.

''Ramon?'' the other asks, reaching out and nudging his arm a bit. A few minutes have gone by and Cisco hasn't moved an inch. Did he vibe?

''I think,'' Cisco finally blinks and turns towards him, ''I'd like to try it. If we can't stand each-other, then fine. We'll go back to normal.'' He smirks, ''I'll get you your own ketchup bottle for the fridge, though.''

Harry stops, then smiles. Then he laughs. He actually laughs. Barry and Joe stop talking at the sound because Harry never laughs at anything.

''Care to fill us in?'' Joe presses. Harry laughing doesn't sit right with him. Barry looks at them just as quizzically.

This was going to be interesting.


End file.
